This invention relates to a lever-type connector in which connectors are connected together through leverage, and more particularly, to a lever-type connector with an improved assembling operability.
A connector of this type has an advantage that the connection and disconnection can be effected with a small force, and this concept has been applied particularly to multi-pole connectors. Its basic principle is based on the action of a lever, and a conventional construction disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 4-62772 is broadly shown in FIGS. 5(A)-(D).
In FIGS. 5(A)-(D), a female connector housing 1 in which female terminals are to be accommodated and a male connector housing 2 in which male terminals are to be accommodated are shown. The female connector housing 1 can be inserted into the male connector housing 2. The male connector housing 2 has a lever 3 having cam grooves 3a mounted so as to be pivotable about support shafts 2a. On the female connector housing 1 side are cam follower projections 4a. The cam follower projections 4a are arranged on a cover 4 that is to be put on the female connector housing 1. The lever 3 is of a two-leg structure and has bearing holes 3b close to the cam grooves 3a, respectively. The lever 3 is supported so as to be pivotable relative to the male connector housing 2 by causing the lever support shafts 2a to be engaged with the bearing holes 3b. The lever support shafts 2a are formed on and projected from the male connector housing 2.
The operation of connecting both connector housings 1, 2 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the cam follower projections 4a on the cover 4 mounted on the female connector housing 1 are inserted into the cam grooves 3a on the lever 3, respectively. The lever 3 is turned in a direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5(B) through the position shown in FIG. 5(C) to that shown in 5(D). As a result, the cam follower projections 4a and hence the cover 4 are pressed downward by the action of the cams of the cam grooves 3a as viewed in FIG. 5(D). This causes the female connector housing 1 to be inserted into the male connector housing 2 completely, thereby connecting the terminals accommodated in both connector housings to one another.
For mounting the lever 3 on the male connector housing 2, the following steps will be taken. First, holding the male connector housing 2 in one hand and the lever 3 in the other, leg portions 3c of the lever 3 are put on the lever support shafts 2a of the male connector housing 2 as shown in FIG. 6(A). Then, in this condition, the lever 3 is pushed onto the male connector housing 2 with sufficient force to cause the leg portions 3c to deform elastically so that they open apart from each other to allow the lever 3 to enter. When the bearing holes 3b formed in the leg portions 3c meet the lever support shafts 2a, respectively, both are engaged with each other, allowing the lever 3 to be pivotally mounted on the male connector housing 2.
However, for elastically opening the leg portions 3c of the lever 3, the lever 3 is pushed down with a comparatively strong force. As a result, at the moment in which both leg portions 3c of the lever 3 have opened by such strong force, the lever 3 itself enters with force. Even if the bearing holes 3b of the lever 3 meet the lever support shafts 2a, such strong force causes the lever 3 to continuously be driven farther, leaving the lever support shafts 2a unengaged with the bearing holes 3b. As a result, the lever support shafts 2a can be erroneously inserted into the cam grooves 3a as shown in FIG. 6(C).
Once this has happened, the cam grooves 3a must be engaged with the lever support shafts 2a again by taking the cam grooves 3a out of the lever support shafts 2a, which is a cumbersome operation.